December 21, 2020

Happy Winter Solstice! Today is also the day of the great conjunction.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 12th for discussion of Burnout by the Nagoski sisters.

This is our last BOSLady letter of 2020 as I will not be writing next week. Enjoy!

The Weekly Three 1. Something about the madwoman in the attic: If you've read Jane Eyre, you know about the madwoman in the attic. In Burnout, the Nagoskis personify our inner critic by calling it our madwoman, the point of which Emily describes in an episode of the Body Kindness podcast.

How often do we hear that voice in our head telling us what we should be doing, where we should be, what we should have accomplished by now? Attributing these thoughts to a separate entity allows us to distance ourselves, making it easier to examine them instead of run away from them. Having a conversation with our madwoman can be very illuminating, as we identify and explore what beliefs we have about ourselves and why. This is an especially important reminder as we near the end of the year and take stock of our professional and personal progress. 2. Something about invisible labor and the holidays: With (arguably) the biggest holiday of the year upon us "pressure and guilt, in all of their forms" rear their head "when the invisible work women typically do at home gets ratcheted up a few notches". Why is that?

3. Something positive!: Let's finish off 2020's letters with a piece of wonderful news, courtesy of the incoming Biden Harris administration. Deb Halaand has been selected as the Interior Secretary, making her the first Native American to be part of a presidential cabinet.

Happiest of holidays and thank you for your time,

Amber